Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford Motor Company, has announced that its e-scooters are now available for public hire in Milton Keynes.
This marks the company’s first market in the context of the recently legalised e-scooter trials taking place across the UK.
On Saturday (August 22), Spin began ramping up its scooter operations by placing 100 scooters on the streets for residents to begin using. Over the coming weeks and months, Spin will increase its fleet size to match demand and is expected to have around 300 scooters on the streets by mid-September.
To take a trip, riders download the Spin app on their smartphone, review a set of rules and safety guidelines, and then start their trip for £0.25p per minute. The scooters can be used on the town’s redways, which provide the local community with connectivity across the town.
Spin said is working closely with Milton Keynes Council to roll out its fleet responsibly, with public safety being the top priority. Over the weekend, the company held a series of public education events for Milton Keynes residents to learn more about how to ride safely. Spin plans to hold several additional safety and public engagement events in the next several weeks to raise awareness and ensure full compliance with local and national rules.
The company also offers all riders access to Spin Safe Digital, an online learning resource that teaches riders how to start and end trips properly, parking techniques to ensure walkways are free of scooter clutter, and safe riding practices during Covid-19. Riders can receive a £5 discount if they take an online quiz testing them on the rules.
Felix Petersen, Spins’s head of Europe, said: “We’re excited to bring the first of our UK e-scooter fleets to Milton Keynes and had a highly-encouraging response from local riders at our Spin Safe events. This is the first of many e-scooters trials across the UK as part of our firm commitment to fully integrate e-scooters into local transportation ecosystems. We hope to responsibly fulfil the need UK residents have for this new transport mode as an accessible, inexpensive and greener alternative to cars and public transport.”
Spin has also applied for a number of other tenders for the local trials in order to expand the company’s presence including West of England, Oxford, Solent and Canterbury. With recently announced plans to become “carbon negative” by 2025, Spin said it also views the Milton Keynes trial as an opportunity to implement other environmental and sustainability goals including utilising Ford’s Transit plug-in electric hybrid vehicles to collect and recharge its e-scooter fleet over using diesel vans.
